Smartgate

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SmartGate is an automated border processing system. It deemed to be a secure and simple system that performs the customs and immigration checks normally made by a Customs Officer when a traveller arrives in Australia. It is linked with the biometric passport project.

SmartGate takes a live image of a travellers face, and using facial recognition technology, will match this image with the digitised image stored in their E-Passport. SmartGate will also undertake immigration and customs checks. If there is a successful match, the traveller will be cleared through the Customs control point. If there is not a successful match, they will be referred to a Customs Officer.

How does it work though? According to a report by Australia's Channel 7 television program "Beyond Tomorrow", "The system compares your passport photo with digital images taken by three cameras, noting such things as your bone structure, length of your nose, and the distance between your eyes." (http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep8/smart.html)

Eligible Australian ePassport holders and holders of eligible ICAO compliant ePassports from other countries will be able to use SmartGate.

Trials of the SmartGate system in conjunction with the biometric passport technology were expanded in late 2004 from use with Qantas air-crew (which began in 2002), to include over 1,00 Qantas platinum frequent flyers. Passengers are to be photographed and their details added to the SmartGate database within 24 hours, according to an e-mail sent to prospective users.

Critics, however, are claiming that the facial-recognition technology is not accurate enough for the use of national security tasks. According to an article by ZDNet Australia, "Problems in introducing biometric identifiers to Australian passports means Australian citizens visiting the United States will be fingerprinted and photographed under that country's anti-terrorism measures." (http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Biometric_doubts_see_travellers_photographed_fingerprinted/0,2000061744,39143937,00.htm)

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